The Obie 1

Name: The Obie 1
Brand: BRICKROAD
Price: 50.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

$50.00

The Obie is handmade from Japanese porcelain.

Invented in Brooklyn and crafted in Tajimi, The Obie is a cup perfect for interesting homes, holiday gifts, and challenging conversations. 700 Obie’s were created in 2020, and each one sold gives a donation to provide access to therapy for those who need it most.

The Obie is manufactured by Maruasa Porcelain Factory -- a legendary family company that has been making porcelain cups for over 100 years in the mountains of Tajimi, Japan.

Classic bisque exterior.

Matte black interior.

14 oz.

Dishwasher safe.

CREDITS:

Haruka Imai — designer of the original Obie, recipient of that first email in 2017 — her work can be found here.
Jay Fleckenstein — Visionary Creative Director of "Workingman Retro" design language of BRICKROAD — his portfolio is here.
Jason and Mary at Bold Maker Studio — Prototyping partner for the original Obie — their website can be found here.
Keishiro Matsubara — Designer and CEO of Maruasa Porcelain Factory. — their website can be found here.

Rosalie Burns — Photography + content creation — her work can be found here.

NEXT DAY SHIPPING

100% secure payments

5% to therapy

handmade in japan

NEXT DAY SHIPPING

100% secure payments

5% to therapy

handmade in japan

Details

Every Obie is:

Break resistant
Temperature-regulating porcelain
Microwave-safe
Oven-safe (up to 200°C)
Comfortable at house parties but prefers a quieter evening
Unique fine and smooth bisque handfeel provided by the 100-year-old reduction firing process, which lasts 24 hours at 1300°C

Wabi-sabi

Each Obie is made by hand from clay in the mountains of Gifu, Japan and designed in the tradition of wabi-sabi - celebrating warmth, imperfection, and the passage of time. Each unit will have a distinct character and no two are alike - imperfections can be found in the flow of the clay on the exterior.

This is the opposite of mass manufacturing - so expect your Obie's to have their own little thing going on when it comes to the texture, colorway, and overall outlook on life.

How it's made

Created by hand in Tajimi, Japan, by the legendary Maruasa Porcelain Factory. With over 100 years of porcelain experience, Maruasa uses a unique manufacturing process that subjects The Obie to 24 hours of firing at 1,300°C, including reducing the oxygen of the kiln, which creates a high-density, high purity porcelain that is heavy duty, strong durability, and features a hand-feel texture that is without comparison.

The Obie is comfortable hanging out in a microwave and oven (up to 200°C). It is dishwasher safe.

MAKE THERAPY FREE

As a kiddo, therapy saved my life. I'm here only because I heard about therapy on a radio show I used to listen to called "Loveline". But if therapy was as expensive then as it is now, I wouldn't have been able to afford it, and I wouldn't be here. I haven't figured out how to make therapy free for everyone yet, but I have figured out how to make awesome plates and such. So until everyone can have access to a better life, 5% of ALL revenue (not profits, not proceeds - revenue) is donated to provide hours of therapy.

Shipping and returns

Not happy with your Obie? Well, there's a first time for everything. No problem. Shoot us an email and we'll make it right. That's on us to fix, not you to worry about. You got stuff going on.

We accept returns and exchanges within 120 years of delivery.

Items must be returned in their original condition in original packaging. We reserve the right to refuse returns that do not meet these requirements. If original packaging is damaged, a drawing of a dinosaur or a haiku will suffice.

As each piece is thoughtfully produced in limited quantities, we encourage you to review the notes on imperfection to make sure you know what you're getting into.

Where possible, we are pleased to offer exchanges or store credit.

Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer, unless the item is received damaged or incorrect.